This project helps young women who are forced to miss school periodically due to poverty and taboos surrounding menstrual hygiene. Through a series of targeted activities, the aim is to reduce school dropout rates, increase girls' self-esteem and promote lasting cultural change by supporting the production and distribution of reusable sanitary pads, accompanied by education and awareness courses.
Thanks to the work of the Her and His Gift Foundation, set up by a group of girls and young women who attend the Don Bosco youth centre in Lusaka, around 7,200 reusable sanitary pads have been produced and distributed, thereby also strengthening local skills and micro-entrepreneurship opportunities. The girls then attended courses on practical skills and personal hygiene.
Twenty workshops were also held in the cities of Lusaka, Kabwe, Chingola and Mansa, involving over 8,000 students in basic waste management and the environmental impact of hygiene products, using participatory methods such as role-playing to stimulate interest and discussion. In addition, awareness and community engagement campaigns were designed through school events, community meetings and social media activities to involve as many girls as possible.
Thanks to the support of many benefactors, the project has succeeded in helping to improve school attendance, girls' self-esteem and gender equality, as well as awareness of the impact of disposable products. Parents and teachers openly recognised that menstruation is one of the main causes of absenteeism and welcomed the proposal for reusable sanitary pads.
Community schools proved to be the most effective way to reach the most vulnerable girls: involving parents, educators and community leaders at an early stage is essential to reduce stigma and promote acceptance of the proposed solutions. Combining health, climate education and mental wellbeing has increased youth engagement and produced effective results.
The project launched with the Her and His Gift Foundation demonstrates that simple, sustainable and youth-led solutions can bring about real and lasting change. It is not just about distributing a product: it is an intervention that restores dignity, protects the right to education and nurtures environmental awareness in the younger generation.
‘With further support and a shared commitment between schools, families and communities,’ write Missioni Don Bosco, ‘the experience gained in Zambia can become a model that can be replicated in other vulnerable contexts. Thank you once again for your support!’
